From Catholic to Muslim:Congressman Keith Ellison Speaks (Ebony)In 2006, U.S. Congressman Keith Ellison was elected to represent Minnesota's 5th district, becoming the state's first African American representative and the first Muslim to serve in Congress.

CAIR-FL: BSO Recruiting Citizens for AcademyPHOTO: Last graduating class of the Citizens Academy which included Ghazala Salam, Community & Government Relations Director of the Council on American Islamic Relations Florida

CAIR to Tenn. Lawmakers: Educate Yourselves About MuslimsCAIR spokesman Corey Saylor suggested Tennessee lawmakers get better acquainted with the Muslim community. "Unfortunately, he seems completely unaware of the numerous denunciations of terrorism by members of the Muslim faith, and this includes a number of religious rulings – fatwas – including one issued here by scholars in the United States in 2006."

CAIR-FLCalls Some Book Opponents 'Misguided', 'Hateful'The Volusia County School Board received a letter from Hassan Shibly, Tampa executive director of CAIR in regard to things that were said at the meeting about the amount of attention Islam received in a 10th-grade history textbook.

CAIR-Sacramento Valley'sBanquet Draws Attention to Rights, FaithThis year's theme of "Faith in Freedom" resonated well within all age groups and faiths present as the lineup of speakers was impressive and the message conveyed stressed American inclusion while practicing our faith.

CAIR: Fla. Muslim Files Suit Against Feds After Being Imprisoned for Months

(MIAMI, FL, 12/5/13) - The Florida chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-FL) today announced the filing of a federal complaint against the United States by Irfan Khan, an American Muslim citizen, alleging false arrest, false imprisonment and malicious prosecution.

Khan was arrested and imprisoned for 319 days and made to endure what he describes as "some of the worse conditions imaginable" in solitary confinement in federal prison. The government dropped all charges against Irfan before trial. He is being represented by Morgan & Morgan, P.A. and CAIR-FL.

"Being an American is about having the right to be who you are. We look forward to pursuing justice on behalf of Mr. Khan," said Michael Hanna, a discrimination attorney at Morgan & Morgan.

"The decision to take away someone's liberties is a serious responsibility. We are seeing a troubling pattern of overzealous prosecution when it comes to the Muslim community. We look forward to a transparent proceeding to reveal the facts," said Nezar Hamze, spokesman for CAIR-FL.

Morgan and Morgan is a leading personal injury law firm dedicated to protecting the people, not the powerful.

CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

CAIR OP-ED SUBMISSION:Love for Jesus Can Bring Christians, Muslims Together"Behold! The angels said: 'O Mary! God giveth thee glad tidings of a Word from Him. His name will be Jesus Christ, the son of Mary, held in honor in this world and the Hereafter and in (the company of) those nearest to God.'"

Sold-Out CAIR-San Diego Banquet a SuccessMore than 400 people turned out on Sunday for the 8th annual banquet of the San Diego chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-San Diego). The banquet was dedicated to the struggle of Nelson Mandela. Many of the speakers reflected on how to learn from his long struggle and how to make this world a better place.

CAIR-MI: Sanitizing Nelson Mandela Does Not Help the Racial Equality Movement (Detroit News)As we remember Mandela, let's be thankful of his contribution to freedom, justice and equality among the human family. But let us also look at his life within a broader struggle in which South Africans and other disenfranchised people are still engaged in. Memorializing Mandela should not be a tonic that puts us to sleep of the reality of racism in the world.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CAIR-NY Asks Feds to Probe Hate Vandalism of Muslim's Truck

(NEW YORK, N.Y., 12/11/13) –- The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY) today called on local law enforcement authorities and the FBI to investigate vandalism of a Watertown, N.Y., Muslim's vehicle as a possible hate crime.

CAIR-NY said the Muslim immigrant's truck was damaged at his home early Saturday. The vandals shattered the windshield and side windows, causing more than $3,000 damage.

According to the police report, a note containing racial and religious slurs was tucked under the car's windshield wipers. The note stated: "U (expletive) (racial slur) I know where u work too!!! U better watch your back!!!". . ."(Expletive) Muslim and (racial slur)! Quit your job or else." Local police are investigating and will determine whether the incident is a hate crime.

"The racial and religious slurs used in this act of violence clearly indicate a need to investigate a bias motive," said CAIR-NY Director of Operations Sadyia Khalique. "By adding its resources to the investigation of this case, the FBI will send a message that hate-motivated acts of anti-Muslim violence will not be tolerated."

Just yesterday, CAIR's Washington state chapter held a news conference calling for a maximum sentence in the beating of a Sikh taxi driver by a man shouting anti-Muslim slurs.

CAIR-NY is a chapter of America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

CAIR OP-ED SUBMISSION:Love for Jesus Can Bring Christians, Muslims Together"Behold! The angels said: 'O Mary! God giveth thee glad tidings of a Word from Him. His name will be Jesus Christ, the son of Mary, held in honor in this world and the Hereafter and in (the company of) those nearest to God.'"

Sold-Out CAIR-San Diego Banquet a SuccessMore than 400 people turned out on Sunday for the 8th annual banquet of the San Diego chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-San Diego). The banquet was dedicated to the struggle of Nelson Mandela. Many of the speakers reflected on how to learn from his long struggle and how to make this world a better place.

CAIR-MI: Sanitizing Nelson Mandela Does Not Help the Racial Equality Movement (Detroit News)As we remember Mandela, let's be thankful of his contribution to freedom, justice and equality among the human family. But let us also look at his life within a broader struggle in which South Africans and other disenfranchised people are still engaged in. Memorializing Mandela should not be a tonic that puts us to sleep of the reality of racism in the world.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CAIR-NY Asks Feds to Probe Hate Vandalism of Muslim's Truck

(NEW YORK, N.Y., 12/11/13) –- The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY) today called on local law enforcement authorities and the FBI to investigate vandalism of a Watertown, N.Y., Muslim's vehicle as a possible hate crime.

CAIR-NY said the Muslim immigrant's truck was damaged at his home early Saturday. The vandals shattered the windshield and side windows, causing more than $3,000 damage.

According to the police report, a note containing racial and religious slurs was tucked under the car's windshield wipers. The note stated: "U (expletive) (racial slur) I know where u work too!!! U better watch your back!!!". . ."(Expletive) Muslim and (racial slur)! Quit your job or else." Local police are investigating and will determine whether the incident is a hate crime.

"The racial and religious slurs used in this act of violence clearly indicate a need to investigate a bias motive," said CAIR-NY Director of Operations Sadyia Khalique. "By adding its resources to the investigation of this case, the FBI will send a message that hate-motivated acts of anti-Muslim violence will not be tolerated."

Just yesterday, CAIR's Washington state chapter held a news conference calling for a maximum sentence in the beating of a Sikh taxi driver by a man shouting anti-Muslim slurs.

CAIR-NY is a chapter of America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

IL: 'What are you looking at, Arab (expletive)?' The manager reported that Bryson "approached him with a clenched fist and asked, 'What are you looking at, Arab (expletive)?' " said an affidavit by Decatur patrol officer Lawrence Petrey.

Fla. Imam ChaplainSays Osceola Hospital DiscriminatingFarah said he eventually heard from someone who runs the chaplaincy program at the hospital. He told Channel 9 they told him in order to qualify for the program that he'd be required to attend Bible study classes to become qualified.

(NEW YORK, N.Y., 12/12/13) - The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY), along with other Muslim and civil rights organizations, today called NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly's recent award from the Muslim Advisory Council a "cheap public relations stunt" showing a falsified image of the New York Muslim community applauding Kelly and his past actions.

"Muslims represent a broad range of opinions on almost every matter, whether theological, political or otherwise," said CAIR-NY Board President Ryan Mahoney. "While there may be a tiny minority of Muslims who do support Ray Kelly's actions -- those who are perhaps unaware of the damage done by NYPD predatory policing -- the vast majority of Muslim New Yorkers do not support or applaud his ineffective and biased policies."

In August 2013, CAIR-NY, along with a number of other civil rights organizations, urged the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate reported violations of the constitutional rights of Muslims by the New York City Police Department (NYPD). That request came following new revelations by The Associated Press (AP) that the NYPD "has secretly labeled entire mosques as terrorism organizations, a designation that allows police to use informants to record sermons and spy on imams, often without specific evidence of criminal wrongdoing."SEE:CAIR-NY, Rights Groups to Seek DOJ Probe of NYPD 'Terror' Designation for Mosques

From some leaders in the NYC Muslim Community:

"Under Commissioner Kelly's watch, NYPD continues to target American Muslims with unwarranted and blanket surveillance and abusing stop question and frisk against communities of color. He has been arrogant and unapologetic and is not deserving of our praise. We will continue to fight against these very policies he defended. Kelly's legacy is tainted with criminalization of communities of color, blatant racial profiling and fueling mistrust amongst communities." -Arab American Association of New York's Executive Director Linda Sarsour.

"By no means do the small number of Muslim leaders honoring Ray Kelly represent the more than 800,000 Muslims across the 5 Boroughs of NYC. Muslims are not a monolith nor do they share the same political views. The media and the NYPD should not depict should not depict our communities this way." -Muslim Consultative Network's Board President Debbie Almontaser.

"The actions of Ray Kelly these past years have harmed the Muslim community, our religious places were monitored, we were profiled, and we were continuously ignored by him when we spoke out against the discriminatory policing. His leadership should not be awarded when he treated NYC Muslim residents like victims in their own city."-Bronx Muslim Center's Imam Abdelrahman Mohammad.

NYPD Commissioner Kelly has been an adamant propagator of discriminatory policing. CAIR-NY believes that this has led to a decreasing trust of the NYPD especially from those affected, especially by New York Muslims that have been one of the groups at the forefront of such profiling. Kelly has allowed for surveillance of various Muslim groups and student associations, even infiltrating student community trips and events.

CAIR-NY is a chapter of America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

Anti-Islam ExtremistsWage Anti-Learning Campaign Against Ala. TextbooksConcerns over 12 of the books were raised by the Eagle Forum of Alabama, a longtime conservative interest group, and the Birmingham chapter ofACT! for America, a conservative group dedicated to protecting freedom and security in America -- though it has been criticized nationally as anti-Islamic ... Houck said after the meeting he has been researching Islam since the Sept. 11 terror attacks and his goal is to tell Americans "what's really going on," describing a non-violent Jihad in America that relies Islamic influence over textbook publishers.

VOTE: Are these pro-Islamic books? Objections raised by the conservative groups Eagle Forum of Alabama andACT! for America included that authors went out of their way to present Islam in a positive light and that they dedicated more space to Islam as compared to Christianity.

CAIR: Raising the Federal Minimum WageIn addition, a broad coalition of religious institutions--including the Episcopal Church, the Jewish Labor Committee, and the Council on American-Islamic Relations--sent a letter to Congress in March demanding that lawmakers raise the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10 per hour in three increments of 95 cents.

CAIR: No Home for Hatred (Watertown Daily Times)On Wednesday, members of the Council on American-Islamic Relations said the FBI should be brought in to help with the investigation. "The racial and religious slurs used in this act of violence clearly indicate a need to investigate a bias motive," said Sadyia Khalique, the director of operations for CAIR's state chapter. "By adding its resources to the investigation of this case, the FBI will send a message that hate-motivated acts of anti-Muslim violence will not be tolerated."

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CAIR-MD Joins Interfaith Vigil on Anniversary of Newtown Tragedy

(GAITHERSBURG, MD, 12/15/13) - On Saturday, December 14th, one year after the Newtown tragedy, the Maryland chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations joined Baltimore City Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, Moms Demand Action-MD Director Jenifer Pauliukonis, Maryland State Senator Brian Frosh, Marylanders to Prevent Gun Violence President Vincent DeMarco, NAACP-MD President Gerald Stansbury, and families of victims of gun violence in participating at an interfaith vigil to honor their memory at the Cathedral of the Incarnation in Baltimore, Md.

An opening prayer was led by Dean Hal Hayek, followed by remarks and a poetry reading. The vigil culminated with the ringing of bells to remember the 26 lives lost in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, CT last year.

"One year after the Newtown tragedy, time has eased the pain but only heightened the sense of urgency that we cannot afford to be complacent," said CAIR-MD Representative Zainab Chaudry. "Gun violence isn't partial to one specific race, gender or religion. The pain and fear it causes transcends faith and politics and touches every segment of our society. We must work together to find a solution to eliminate this disease."

Some 30,000 lives are lost annually to gun violence in the United States alone. This rate is higher than any other industrialized nation in the world.

CAIR-MD is a chapter of America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

Monday, December 2, 2013

CAIR:Employers Use Facebook to Discriminate Against Muslim Job Seekers (Wall Street Journal)Candidates whose public Facebook profiles indicated they were Muslim were less likely to be called for interviews than Christian applicants. The difference was particularly pronounced in parts of the country where more people identify themselves as conservative. In those places, Christian applicants got callbacks 17% of the time, compared with about 2% for Muslims. ... Ibrahim Hooper, the national communications director at CAIR, said the findings didn't surprise him. "You never know what an employer is finding on Google or Facebook or any other site on the Internet that they can use to eliminate you from consideration," he said.

CAIR-FL: Woman Raised in Islam Named First Female Mayor (Sun-Sentinel)Nezar Hamze, executive director of CAIR in South Florida and a spokesman for Broward's 43,000 Muslims, called her appointment as mayor "absolutely fantastic.''"I think it's just testimony to what Broward County is right now,'' Hamze said. "We're a majority minority community. And just looking at the elections in the last couple years, we have a Jewish sheriff and now we have a Muslim mayor. So Broward County is really starting to reflect its diversity at the top.''

MS:Muslim Culture in a Southern SpaceEspecially in a small state such as ours, the scarcity of Muslims to counter the dominant stereotypes about their culture furthers the narrative. That's what makes the work at the International Museum of Muslim Culture so important.

Focusing onGiving Thanks (Augusta Chronicle)As an ideal holiday, Thanksgiving expresses gratitude, focusing on family and friendship and showing appreciation for the land of freedom and opportunity. We celebrate the freedom of worship and the diversity of our nation; however, while we thank Allah for all the gifts that have been bestowed on us, we are mindful of the challenges facing American-Muslims these days.

CAIR: U.S. Muslims Welcome Nuclear Deal with IranIranian government urged to drop support for brutal Syrian regime

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 11/24/13) -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed the deal announced yesterday that places limitations on parts of Iran's nuclear program in exchange for relief from some economic sanctions.

CAIR also called on Iran to drop its ongoing support for Syria's brutal dictatorship.

"We welcome the agreement signed in Geneva and hope it will reverse the counterproductive decades-long push toward conflict between Iran and Western nations.

"We look forward to a time when the Iranian people will no longer suffer under unprecedented international sanctions and in which the international community is satisfied that Iran's nuclear program is devoted to exclusively peaceful purposes.

"While we welcome this move toward international peace and stability, we must also call on Iranian leaders to realize the un-Islamic nature of their massive political, military and financial support for the brutal Syrian dictatorship.

"Iranian support for the Assad regime has contributed to the killing of more than 120,000 Syrians, including some 11,000 children. No government that claims Islamic legitimacy can continue to back those who are massacring Muslims."

CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

Good News Alert: Senate Takes Steps Toward Closing Gitmo CAIR thanks the hundreds of concerned citizens who responded to our action alert urging the Senate to ease such transfer provisions for Guantanamo Bay inmates. Last week, the Senate took significant steps toward closing the prison at Guantanamo in their markup of the 2014 National Defense Authorization Act.

(NEW YORK, N.Y., 11/25/13) -- On Tuesday, November 26, the New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY), along with other Muslim and civil rights organizations, will hold a noon news conference at One Police Plaza with Imam Abdur-Rashid and Samir Hashmi, who have filed Article 78 petitions against the NYPD in response to the department's refusal to provide intelligence records gathered on the two men.

[NOTE: An Article 78 proceeding is a legal method to challenge the actions, or lack of actions, of an administrative agency in court.]

Since 2002, the New York City Police Department (NYPD) has engaged in a domestic surveillance program and practice of religious profiling that targets Muslim individuals, places of worship, businesses, schools, student groups, and other establishments located in and throughout New York.

Talib W. Abdur-Rashid, the imam of the Mosque of Islamic Brotherhood Inc. and the president of the Majlis Ash-Shura (Islamic Leadership Council) of Metropolitan New York, has been the subject of such illegal surveillance. Surveillance of Imam Abdur-Rashid intensified following the Sean Bell verdict in 2008, due to the imam's stand against the NYPD's profiling of African Americans and its illegal stop & frisk policies.

Mr. Hashmi, former Treasurer of the Muslim Student Association at Rutgers University, was surveilled while he was a student at Rutgers. The NYPD launched an aggressive and egregious operation to monitor the Muslim student group at the university in New Jersey in 2009, using undercover NYPD officers to establish a secret safe house in an off-campus apartment. After a detailed investigation, the FBI and local police concluded that the covert operation's objective was to monitor Muslim students at Rutgers University.

Imam Abdur-Rashid and Samir Hashmi individually submitted Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) requests, seeking the intelligence the NYPD gathered on them through its illegal surveillance. Their requests were categorically denied. Imam Abdur -Rashid and Samir Hashmi have now filed Article 78 petitions against the New York Police Department in response to its blanket and baseless refusal to provide intelligence records gathered concerning the two men.

"As an active member and a leader in the Muslim community," Imam Abdur-Rashid says, "I am outraged that the NYPD not only spies illegally on me and the Masjid I serve, but refuses to offer the information they have on me." Mr. Hashmi fears he was "targeted and surveilled just for trying to be an active student leader in the community."

"Imam Abdur Rashid and Mr. Hashmi are entitled to know the information the NYPD has about them. They are outstanding members of the community. They have not done anything illegal for the NYPD to have dossiers on them in the first place," says attorney Omar Mohammedi.

CAIR-NY is a chapter of America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

CAIR: 'Redskins' Name Condemned by Black, Latino, Muslim Groups (Washington Post)Others have already voiced opposition to the team's name. This month, the nation's largest Muslim civil rights group, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, issued a statementurging Snyder to "recognize the hurt he is causing to Native Americans and the harm such stereotypical portrayals do to our nation's ideals of inclusion and respect for all citizens, regardless of their racial, ethnic or religious background."

Greenwald: Crucial to Safeguard Civil Liberties of American MuslimsGlenn Greenwald, the civil rights attorney and journalist who helped reveal evidence that the U.S. was spying on its citizens and allies, said it's crucial to safeguard the civil liberties of American Muslims to ensure the rights of all Americans.

Islamophobe David Gaubatz 'Retires,' But the Lies RemainThe infamous Islamophobe David Gaubatz, in announcing his retirement via email to his supporters, admitted what most have suspected: That the majority of anti-Islam groups simply exist to make money.